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The overall ranking is decided by students from this institution rating them in a 2026 Whatuni review. This forms the basis of the Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs for short).
2129 Student reviews
I think this university is such a great place to be at and it has a lot of great facilities and resources and the support of students is amazing. Although some aspects are lacking a bit like the location which cant really be helped and there need to be some improvements with the student union with its events and the social event that go on inside the university. overall i have really loved it here and being here is great.
The lectures here are really insightful and provide lots of information, the people here are really friendly and the activity’s and events that go on are good fun to
I like that there is a lot of space and nature, and almost my professors are extremely good at their jobs. That said, I don't think the experience is value for money (or anything near it) which is disappointing.
It's a nice place with lots of green areas and the staff are really supportive and friendly. I think their needs to be more student support for example more regular drop ins with student advisors especially over times we are in placment.
The student night life could definitely be improved, but overall I think the lecturers are great and super super helpful. I find listen again to be really helpful, and when it comes to exam season, the lecturers are easy to find and are very helpful to ask questions.
Lots of activities, nice campus
The best aspects would be how nice and respectful the student body is, the size of the campus you could never get bored of it and how peaceful the campus and university accommodation area is. Aspects I think could be improved on is cleanliness initiatives to educate students on why it is important be clean and keep areas clean
University of Essex has been a pretty good place for me to study overall, especially because of how friendly and diverse it feels. I’ve found it easy to meet people from different backgrounds, and there’s usually something happening on campus which makes student life enjoyable. Most of my lecturers have been supportive and approachable, although I’ve noticed that the teaching can be a bit inconsistent depending on the module
Everything good
I think the University of Essex has a good campus. It’s well maintained and beautiful, most importantly as someone who commutes it’s easy to access with multiple bus stops which are convenient. I think my philosophy aspect of my course is fantastic, always supportive and very easy to communicate with! Law here is also fantastic. There’s many great study facilities, I’m finding more each day! I also think the student union is great here! Very interactive even for a commuter.
It's the best top university in the UK for economics and for the strongest research in the UK
University of Essex is a great place to study because of the nature and diversity of its campus.
Great place
A great place to study
improved via, easier way to navigate around, different variety of food stalls/shops
I think it has definitely gone through tough times alongside other universities, but I do think there were times that made this university, in particular, receive the Times award. The facilities and feel of the campus are mostly highlighted through its beautiful brutalist library and its environmentalist business school, but there are still questionable architectural elements that dot the campus. Student support has unfortunately degraded since before my time, especially with the removal of Residence Assistance and many restaurants, such as Roost and Func, which initially provided the university with a diverse array of foods. The navigability of the classes also depends on the fact that classes in the squares are very anti-beginner-friendly to navigate their maze-like structure. Nonetheless, its students' union remains resilient and optimistic; the location near London makes it a perfect balance for both international and home students who want to commute there, and Colchester also acts as a small but serviceable city for basic needs and wants.
Wouldn’t change a thing! Great housing, teaching facilities, lecturers, websites and a great campus!
There are many events to socialise and meet new people, but one aspect that could be improved is the careers services. They basically just tell information you might already know so it’s not very useful especially when curating cv or finding placements
Really great for studying in such a unique place but at times the student experience is lacking.


The best parts is that there is always something to do, working in the student union as well as being a customer you always have somewhere to support you too. The one thing I would say is that because I’m living on campus even during Christmas and Easter it’s hard to find something to do for 4 weeks
I haven’t really enjoyed the course causing me to switch
Quite a bit of damage was done to my room before I got here including my bed which has been broken since day 1 and I think there might be comfier mattresses in prison if I’m honest but everything else about is fine, it’s a 5 minute walk to work and the gym and a bus stop a short walk away. I would say it does suck having to walk to the car park from the bottom of south courts everytime I want a cheeky kebab